Rifle, caL .30, M1903 (fig. 1), This rifle, generally known as the Springfield rifle, has been in service for many years. Subsequently a pistol grip type stock replaced the straight grip type stock and, with the rifle so modified, the designation was changed to U. £L Rifle, caL .30, M1903A1 (fig. 2). Later, the Rifle Ml903 was modified in manufacturing details, the rear sight and fixed base removed and an adjustable rear sight of different design mounted on the bridge of the receiver, a barrel guard longer than and substituted for the hand guard, and a stacking swivel band added This modified rifle was designated as U- a Rifle, cal. .30, Ml903A3 (fig. 3). Still later, the Rifle M1903A3 was modified by removing front and rear sight groups, assembling an M1903A1 type stock, mounting a telescopic sight on the top of the receiver, and designated as U. S. Rifle, cat .30, M1903A4 (Snipers) (fig, 4). Detailed characteristics of the various models are explained in paragraph 3, An enlarged view of the midsections of the M1903A1, Ml903A3, and M1903A4 Rifles is shown in figure 5 for the purpose of easy identification.

NOTE: Recently manufactured stocks do not have the grooves cut in the sides for gripping, as shown in figure 1.

b« As the Rifle M1903 is the basic rifle and the Rifle M1903A1 identical with the exception of the stock, these two may be considered as one rifle in this manual. As all of the four rifles covered herein are basically the same in mechanism, operation, and functioning, the disassembly and assembly, inspection, maintenance, and repair are covered to apply generally. Exceptions with regard to the models are noted where they apply. General illustrations are of the Rifle M1903A1, but apply to the other models unless specified otherwise in the text. Likewise, illustrations of the Rifle M1903A3 apply to the M1903A4 unless specified otherwise.

c. A list of parts for all four rifles covered herein is contained in SNL 33-3, with parts common to any one model only, so indicated

3* CHARACTERISTICS.

(1) Loading. This rifle is a breech-loading magazine weapon of the bolt type. The magazine will hold five cartridges, and one additional cartridge may be inserted in the chamber, thus making the maximum capacity for any one loading six shots. To facilitate the loading of the magazine, cartridges are ordinarily put up in brass clips holding five cartridges each. The magazine, however, may be loaded by inserting single cartridges by hand, one after the other.

(a) The rear sight is adjustable for windage, and the drift of the bullet to the right is offset automatically by the construction of the rear sight leaf. The leaf is graduated from 100 to 2,850 yards. The lines extending completely across the branches of the leaf are alternate

100-yard divisions, the longer of the short lines 50-yard, and the shorter lines 25-yard divisions- The drift slide, which may be moved up or down on the leaf, has two notches called open sights and a circular hole called the peep sight With the leaf raised to the vertical position, the lines on either side of the peep sight and on either side of the lower open sight notch enable the user to set the drift slide accurately at any desired graduation on the leaf. With the leaf and slide in the down position, and using the battle sight notch which is cut in the slide cap, the sights are set for 547 yards.

(b) The rear end of the rear sight movable base is marked with wind gage graduations. Each graduation corresponds to a lateral deviation in the point of impact of the bullet of 4 inches for each 100 yards of range to the target

of accurate fire with this weapon depends upon the skill and the position of the operator and the visibility of the target It varies from 10 to 15 shots per minute. The effectiveness of rifle fire during combat decreases as the range to the target increases» Its use at ranges greater than 600 yards is unusual.

(4) Boring. Originally the barrel of this rifle was bored with four grooves with a right-hand twist, and 1 turn in 10 inches. Recently manufactured barrels are bored similarly but with only two grooves instead of four* This change in boring applies to all models of this rifle covered in this manual.

b. U* S. Rifle, CaL .30, MI 903A1. This rifle is identical with the Rifle Ml903 described in subparagraph a, above, with the exception of the stock assembly. The Rifle M1903A1 has a pistol grip type stock whereas the Rifle M1903 has a straight grip type stock.

c* U. S. Rifle, CaL .30, M1903A3. This rifle is basically identical with the Rifle M1903 described in subparagraph a, above. Principal variations are in the front and rear sight groups and the design of a few parts as explained below. Like parts are not all interchangeable, and replacements should be made according to parts listed in SNL B-3.

NOTE: Parts of the Rifle M1903A3 which vary in design may be found in recently manufactured M1903 and M1903A1 Rifles, provided they are interchangeable.

(1) Stock. The stock is similar to that of the Rifle M1903, except that the pistol grip is optional on the Ml903A3, whereas the M1903 did not have the pistol grip. Some of the M1903A3 Rifles issued had front and rear stock screw pins running laterally through the center portion of the stock to reinforce the trigger guard and magazine aperture in place of the front and rear stock screws and nuts assembled to the Rifle M1903. Front and rear stock screws and nuts are now standard for the Rifle M1903A3.

NOTE: SCREW, stock, front, B146876, is now used for both front and rear and nomenclature changed to "SCREW, stock-"

(2) Rear Sight, In this rifle, the folding leaf type of rear sight and fixed base, such as used on the Rifles M1903 and Ml903A1, are removed from the rear end of the barrel; and a rigid, wing type of rear sight is assembled to the bridge of the receiver (fig, 7)- This sight consists of a base, windage yoke, slide aperture, spring, and windage index knob, and their components. The range scale on the windage yoke is marked in 100-yard graduations, and has 50-yard adjustments» The slide aperture can be moved up and down this scale for various ranges. Turning the windage index knob moves the yoke to the right or left to allow for windage. Each click represents a change of 1 minute of angle or a horizontal change of impact of 1 inch at a range of 100 yards. Each division or mark on the windage scale represents 4 minutes of angle or a change in the point of impact of 4 inches at a range of 100 yards.

(3) Barrel Guard, In this rifle, a barrel guard (fig. 53) extending from the bayonet stud band to the front face of the receiver, takes the place of the hand guard (fig. 45) on the Rifle M1903 which extends from the upper band to the front face of the fixed base of the rear sight (The bayonet stud band (fig, 53) corresponds to the upper band (fig. 51) of the Rifle Ml903,)

(a) The stacking swivel is of stamped metal and secured to the forward end of the stock just to the rear of the bayonet stud band, by the stacking swivel band. In the Rifle M19Q3, the stacking swivel is of round wire and pivoted to the upper band.

(b) The bayonet stud band which replaces and is shorter than the upper band of the Rifle M19Q3, is solid on top and has two bayonet mounting studs on the bottom. In the Rifle M1903 there is an opening in the top of the upper band, and but one bayonet stud.

(c) The lower band swivel is a flat metal stamping pivoted in a flat lower band. The swivel in the Rifle M1903 is of round wire, and the lower band is grooved for reinforcement.

(5) Trigger Guard Magazine Assembly (fig. 49).

(a) The magazine, trigger guard, and floor plate are of stamped sheet metal, staked and welded together to form a single unit, and called the "trigger guard magazine assembly." In the Rifle M1903, the magazine and trigger guard are an integral machined piece called the "trigger guard" and the floor plate is a separate machined piece assembled to the bottom of the magazine section of the trigger guard by means of a spring-operated catch assembled to the trigger guard (fig. 47).

(b) In the Rifle M1903, the magazine spring is clipped to the follower and floor plate, and the spring and follower are removed from the receiver together with the floor plate by disengaging the floor plate catch. In the Rifle M1903A3, the magazine spring is clipped to the follower only, which may be either the M1903 or M1903A3 follower, and must be removed from the top opening of the magazine, or together with the trigger guard magazine assembly as explained in paragraph 7 cL

(6) Front Sight Group (fig. 54), The front sight group is composed of a flat front sight pinned in a slot in a ring type sight base which is keyed and pinned to the muzzle end of the barrel. The sight is furnished in five heights, from 0.537 inch to 0.477 inch. The front sight group of the Rifle M1903 is composed of a flat front sight, a movable stud, and a fixed stud {fig. 51) which are assembled and pinned to each other and to a spline on the barrel.

(7) Butt Plate and Swivel Group (fig. 50). This group is similar to that of the Rifle M1903 but composed of metal stampings instead of machined pieces. The butt plate trap is fastened in the butt plate assembly and not easily removable as in the case of the butt plate cap M1903 (fig. 48).

(8) Bolt Group (fig, 43). The parts comprising the bolt group are basically the same as those of the Rifle M1903 (fig. 42) but differ slightly in design, and are not all interchangeable.

(9) Magazine Spring and Follower Group (figs. 49 and 37). The follower is a sheet metal stamping with a straight ridge running longitudinally on the top side. A portion cf the follower near the front (narrow) end is bent downward and inward on both sides to seat the magazine spring, and there is a projection on the rear end to hold it in position. The follower Ml903 is a machined piece with an undercut pad on the bottom of the front end to seat the magazine spring, and a pad on the bottom of the rear end to hold it in position (fig. 37). The raised ridge on the top of the follower M1903 has two relief cuts on the left side. As either of these followers may be found assembled in any of the rifles covered in this manual, identification is necessary when removing the follower, as explained in the section on disassembly and assembly. Figure 37 shows top and bottom views of both types of followers for identification.

(1) This rifle was designed for "sniping" and is identical with

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00 o the Rifle M1903A3 described in subparagraph c, above, with the following exceptions:

(a) A telescopic sight is mounted to a flat mount base screwed to the top of the receiver (fig. 8) in place of the fixed, wing type rear sight mounted on the Rifle M1903A3 (fig. 7).

(b) The front sight group is entirely removed from the barrel

(c) The stock assembly is similar to that of the Rifle MI903A1 in that it has a pistol grip and front and rear stock screws and nuts. In addition, it has a bolt handle notch cut into the right side of the stock, to accomodate the modified bolt handle.

(d) The bolt handle curves downward and is cut away on the outside to prevent interference with the telescopic sight when the handle is raised to unlock the bolt or cock the rifle.

(2) Due to interference of the mount base assembled to the top of the receiver for mounting the telescopic sight, and the telescopic sight when mounted, loading this rifle by clip is not practical. Cartridges are inserted into the magazine by hand, one at a time, or the rifle used as a single loader,

(3) At present, the Weaver Commercial Telescopic Sight, No. 330 C (figs. 8 and 67), designated as M73B1, is issued with this rifle. This sight gives a magnification of 2,20 X. The adjusting mechanism is located in the rear end of the sight tube. When mounted, the windage adjusting screw is on the left and the elevation adjusting screw on the top, with respect to the rifle. This sight is furnished with a dust cap assembly for protection of the lenses. It consists of a large and small leather cap connected by a strap. The large cap is placed over the rear (eyepiece) end of the sight and the small cap over the front end. The caps are then turned in opposite directions to take up the slack in the strap by twisting it around the sight tube.

(4) The operation of this rifle and description, care, and adjustment of the telescopic sight are explained in FM 23-10 and TM 9-270, respectively. The mounting of the sight and assembly of the mount base to the rifle are explained in section II of this manual e* There are two types of bayonet and three types of scabbards used with the Rifles M1903, M19G3A1, and M1903A3. (The Rifle M1903A4 is not equipped with a bayonet) The one is the Bayonet M1905 which is furnished with either the fabric covered Scabbard M1910 or the plastic Scabbard M3 (figs. 9 and 10). This bayonet has wooden grips and a single edged, 17-inch blade. The other bayonet is the Ml furnished with the plastic Scabbard M7 (fig. 11). This bayonet has composition grips and a single edged, 10-inch blade.

f, The gun sling M1907 (leather) or Ml (web) is used on all four rifles covered in this manual. These slings are shown in figure 12,

NOTE: The slings M1917 (20-18-53) and M1923 (C7791) can also be used.

Figure 9 — Bayonet Ml905 and Bayonet Scabbard M191Q

Figure 9 — Bayonet Ml905 and Bayonet Scabbard M191Q

figure 10 — Bayonet Ml905 and Bayonet Scabbard M3

— Assembled View

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Figure 11 — Bayonet M1 and Bayonet Srabbarcf M7

— Assembled View

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Figure 11 — Bayonet M1 and Bayonet Srabbarcf M7

— Assembled View

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Figvre 12 - Gun Sfirtgs Ml907 (20-18-75) and Ml 044059

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Figure 13 — Fronf Sight Cover C64I57

RA PD 2J977

Figure 13 — Fronf Sight Cover C64I57

g. The front sight cover C64157 is used to protect the front sight on the Rifles M1903, M1903A1, and M1903A3, and is shown in figure 13. (It is snapped on over the front sight with the sloping portion to the rear.)

a. General« The manual operation and the mechanical functioning of the moving parts and mechanisms of the rifle are so closely related that they are described together in the order of their performance, For a description of the use of this rifle by line organizations, covering operation, functioning, care, and the proper nomenclature of the parts, refer to FM 23-10 and SNL B-3.

Ik Boll Group Mechanism.

(1) Description. The bolt group mechanism, commonly referred to as the bolt, consists of the bolt assembly, bolt sleeve assembly, extractor, safety lock assembly, firing pin assembly, firing pin sleeve, striker, and mainspring. The components of the bolt group are shown in figures 42 and 43.

(a) Bolt Assembly* The bolt assembly consists of the bolt and the extractor collar (figs. 17 and 18). The bolt moves backward and forward and rotates in the well of the receiver (fig. 27). It pushes a cartridge from the magazine, or one placed by hand in front of it, into the chamber and supports the head of the cartridge during firing. The bolt has two locking lugs formed at the front end which sustain the shock of the discharge by engagement with the locking shoulders on the receiver (fig. 25). The upper locking lug is slotted to allow the passage of the point of the ejector (fig. 17). Two small circular notches are located on the left side of the slotted lug (fig. 16). These notches engage the bolt stop pin in either single or magazine loading and retain the bolt in place in the open position. (In some bolts these notches are absent, as explained in paragraph 43 i) A safety lug (fig. 17) is formed midway on the bolt which comes into play only in the event of the locking lugs yielding under pressure at discharge.

(b) Bolt Sleeve Assembly (figs, 20 and 21). The bolt sleeve unites the parts of the bolt group mechanism, and its rotation with the bolt is prevented by the lugs on its sides coming in contact with the receiver (fig. 14). It has a groove through which the cocking piece lug extends to enter the cocking piece groove in the receiver. The bolt sleeve lock (fig, 20) is provided to prevent accidental turning of the bolt sleeve when the bolt is drawn back,

(c) Extractor. The hook at the front end of the extractor (fig. 16) engages in the extracting groove of the cartridge case and retains the head of the case in the countersink of the bolt until the case is ejected

(d) Safety Lock Assembly (figs. 22 and 23). The safety lock when turned to the left in the "READY" position, is inoperative; when turned to the right in the "SAFE" position (which can only be done when the rifle is cocked), the point of the spindle (fig. 20) enters its notch in the bolt (fig- 19) dnd locks the bolt; at the same time its

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cam forces the cocking piece slightly to the rear out of contact with the sear and locks the firing pin.

(e) Firing Pin Assembly„ The firing pin assembly consists of the cocking piece and the firing pin rod (fig- 24). When the rifle is cocked, the mainspring will remain compressed as long as the sear nose is retained in the sear notch of the cocking piece. The length of the firing pin rod is so adjusted that when the front end of the cocking piece bears against the interior shoulder of the bolt sleeve, the striker will project the proper distance beyond the face of the bolt

(t) Firing Pin Sleeve. The firing pin sleeve fits over the front end of the firing pin rod and the rear end of the striker, covering the joint hole and preventing accidental separation of the firing pin rod and striker (fig. IS). Its rear end forms the front bearing of the mainspring.

(¿) Striker. The striker has a joint hole formed on its rear end by which it is secured to the firing pin rod (fig. IS). When the mainspring forces the firing pin assembly forward, the point of the striker strikes the primer of the cartridge held in the chamber

(h) Mainspring. The mainspring is mounted on the firing pin rod; the front end resting against the rear face of the firing pin sleeve and the rear end resting against the barrel of the bolt sleeve (fig. 15). When the sear releases the cocking piece, the mainspring drives the firing pin and the striker forward

(a) The bolt is opened by raising the bolt handle until it comes in contact with the left side of the receiver and pulling directly to the rear until the upper locking lug strikes the cut-off.

(b) Raising the bolt handle rotates the bolt and separates the locking iugs from their seats on the locking shoulders in the receiver (fig. 25) with which they have been brought into close contact by the pressure of the powder gases. This rotation causes the cocking cam of the bolt (fig. 16) to force the firing pin to the rear, drawing the point of the striker into the bolt, rotation of the firing pin being prevented by the lug on the cocking piece projecting through the slot in the bolt sleeve into its groove in the receiver (fig. 27). As the bolt sleeve remains longitudinally stationary with reference to the bolt, this rearward motion of the firing pin and consequently of the striker will start the compression of the mainspring, since the rear end of the mainspring bears against the front end of the barrel of the bolt sleeve and its front end against the rear end of the firing pin sleeve (fig. 15).

(c) When the bolt handle strikes the receiver, the locking lugs have been disengaged, the firing pin has been forced to the rear until the sear notch of the cocking piece has passed the sear nose (fig. 26), the cocking piece nose (fig. 24) has entered the cock notch in the rear end of the bolt (fig. 19), the bolt sleeve lock (fig. 20) has engaged its notch in the bolt (fig, 19), and the mainspring has been almost

SEAR NOTCH

RAPD 22007

SEAR NOTCH

UPPER LOCKING LUG COCKING CAM SURFACES

BOLT STOP PIN NOTCHES

RAPD 22007

Figure 16 — Boh Group Assembled

BOLT LOCK NOTCH

EJECTOR SLOT

Figure 16 — Boh Group Assembled

BOLT LOCK NOTCH

EJECTOR SLOT

CAMMING SURFACE

RA PD 10856 figure 17 — Bolt Assembly — Top View

CAMMING SURFACE

RA PD 10856 figure 17 — Bolt Assembly — Top View entirely compressed. During the rotation of the bolt, a rearward motion has been imparted to it by its extracting cam (fig. 14) coming in contact with the extracting cam of the receiver (fig. 28) so that the cartridge case will be started from the chamber. (In figure 26 the extracting cam of the receiver is hidden from view by the extracting cam of the bolt) The bolt is then drawn directly to the rearp the parts being retained in position by the cocking piece nose remaining in the cock notch and locked by the bolt sleeve lock engaging its notch in the bolt

(d) Just before the bolt is drawn fully to the rear, the upper locking lug strikes the heel of the ejector, throwing its point suddenly to the right in the lug slot (fig. 33). As the bolt moves fully to the rear, the rear face of the cartridge case strikes against the ejector point and the case is ejected slightly upward and to the right from the receiver.

COCKJNC CAM SURFACE

CAMMING SURFACE

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COCKJNC CAM SURFACE

CAMMING SURFACE

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Figure 18 — Boit Assembly — Bottom View cock notch

Figure 18 — Boit Assembly — Bottom View cock notch

sleeve clearance safety lock spindle notch

5l£eve lock notch

sleeve clearance safety lock spindle notch

5l£eve lock notch

figure 19- Bolt Assembly - Rear View

(3) Closing the Bolt.

(a) The bolt is closed by pushing the bolt handle forward until the extracting cam on the bolt bears against the extracting cam on the receiver- The bolt is unlocked from the bolt sleeve by the bolt sleeve lock striking the bridge of the receiver. The bolt handle is then turned down.

(b) As the bolt handle is turned down, the cams of the locking lugs (figs, 17 and 18) bear against the locking shoulders in the receiver (fig- 25), and the bolt is forced slightly forward into its closed position with the locking lugs resting against the lug seats. As all movement of the firing pin is prevented by the sear nose engaging the sear notch of the cocking piece (fig, 26), this forward movement of the barrel safety spindle point cocking pjece groove barrel safety spindle point cocking pjece groove